This invention relates to an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which steps move faster in an inclined section than in upper and lower horizontal sections.
Nowadays, a large number of escalators of great height are installed in subway stations or the like. In an escalator of this type, the passenger is obliged to stand on a step for a long period of time, which is often rather uncomfortable. In view of this, a high-speed escalator has been developed. However, in such a high-speed escalator, there is a limitation regarding the traveling speed from the viewpoint of allowing the passengers to get off and on safely.
In view of this, there has been proposed an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which the steps move faster in the intermediate inclined section than in the upper and lower horizontal sections, whereby it is possible to shorten the traveling time for the passenger.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section described, for example, in JP 51-116586 A. In the figure, a plurality of steps 2 coupled in an endless manner are provided in a main frame 1. The steps 2 are driven by a drive unit (step driving means) 3 and moved to circulate.
A forward path side section of a circulation path of the steps 2 has a forward path upper side horizontal section A to be an upper side platform portion, a forward path side upper curved section B, a forward path side constant inclination section C, a forward path side lower curved section D, and a forward path lower side horizontal section E to be a lower side platform portion.
Next, FIG. 5 is a side view showing the vicinity of the forward path side upper curved section B of FIG. 4 in an enlarged state. In the figure, a step 2 has a tread 4 for carrying a passenger; a riser 5 hinged at a front or rear end of the tread 4; a driving roller shaft 6; a pair of rotatable driving rollers 7 attached to the driving roller shaft 6; a trailing roller shaft 8; and a pair of rotatable trailing rollers 9 attached to the trailing roller shaft 8.
Each driving roller 7 is guided by a driving rail 19 supported by a main frame 1. Each trailing roller 9 is guided by a trailing rail 11 supported by the main frame 1. Note that shapes of the forward path side driving rail 10 and the forward path side trailing rail 11 are formed such that the tread 4 of the step 2 always remains level in forward path side sections.
The driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 are coupled with each other by a link mechanism 13. The link mechanism 13 has first to fifth links 14 to 18.
One end portion of the first link 14 is pivotably coupled to the driving roller shaft 6. The other end portion of the first link 14 is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the third link 16 via a shaft 20. One end portion of the second link 15 is pivotably coupled to the driving roller shaft 6 of the step 2 adjacent to it. The other end portion of the second link 15 is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the third link 16 via the shaft 20.
One end portion of the fourth link 17 is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the first link 14. One end portion of the fifth link 18 is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the second link 15. The other end portions of the fourth and fifth links 17 and 19 are coupled to one end portion of the third link 16 via a sliding shaft 21.
A guiding groove 16 a for guiding sliding of the sliding shaft 21 in a longitudinal direction of the third link 16 is provided at one end portion of the third link 16. A rotatable auxiliary roller 19 is provided at the other end portion of the third link 16. The auxiliary roller 19 is guided by an auxiliary rail 22 supported by the main frame 1.
The auxiliary roller 19 is guided by the auxiliary rail 22, whereby the link mechanism 13 is transformed and a gap between the adjacent steps 2, that is, an interval between the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 is changed. In other words, a track of the auxiliary rail 22 is designed so that the gap between the adjacent steps 2 changes.
Next, operation thereof will be described. A The speed of the step 2 is changed by changing the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2. That is, in a forward path upper side horizontal section A and a forward path lower side horizontal section E where a passenger gets on and off the escalator, the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 becomes the smallest, and the step 2 moves at low speed. In addition, in a forward path side constant inclined section C, the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 becomes the largest, and the step 2 moves at high speed. Moreover, in a forward path side upper curved section B and a forward path side lower curved section D, the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 is changed, and the step 2 accelerates or decelerates to travel.
The first, second, fourth, and fifth links 14, 15, 17, and 18 constitute a so-called pantograph type quadric link mechanism, and an angle defined by the first and second links 14 and 15 can be increased and reduced with the third link 16 as a symmetrical axis. Accordingly, an interval between the driving roller shafts 6 coupled to the first and second links 14 and 15 can be changed.
In the upper and lower horizontal sections A and E of FIG. 4, the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 is the smallest. When an interval between the driving rail 10 and the auxiliary rail 22 is reduced from this state, the link mechanism 13 moves in the same manner as a movement of a frame of an umbrella at the time when it is opened, and the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 increases.
In the constant inclined section C of FIG. 4, the interval between the driving rail 10 and the auxiliary rail 22 is the smallest, and the interval between the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 is the largest. Therefore, a speed of the step 2 in this area reaches the maximum. In addition, in this state, the first and second links 14 and 15 are arranged substantially in a straight line.
However, in the conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section constituted as described above, the auxiliary rail 22 in each of the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D is formed substantially in a mere arc shape which smoothly joins the horizontal sections A and E and the constant inclined section C. Therefore, in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D, a track of relative movement of a step 2 adjacent to a certain step 2 (track of a relative change of positions of the driving roller shafts 6 of the adjacent steps 2 ) is not in conformity with a shape of the riser 5.
In addition, in FIG. 5, a length of the tread 4 is determined such that a gap is not generated between the riser 5 and a leading edge of the tread 4 of the step 2 adjacent to it in the horizontal sections A and E and the constant inclined section C. In the case in which the length of the tread 4 is determined as described above and the auxiliary rail 22 in each of the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D is formed substantially in a mere arc shape, interference occurs between the riser 5 and the leading edge of the tread 4, and smooth movement of the step 2 becomes difficult to be realized in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D.
Conversely, in the case in which the length of the tread 4 is determined such that the leading edge of the tread 4 does not interfere with the riser 5 in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D, and the auxiliary rail 22 in each of the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D is formed substantially in a mere arc shape, as shown in FIG. 6, a gap 23 is generated between the riser 5 and the leading edge of the tread 4 in the horizontal sections A and E and the constant inclined section C.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problem described above, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to obtain an escalator with a high speed inclined section which can prevent a leading edge of a tread from interfering with a riser of a step adjacent to it or a gap from being generated between a riser of a step and the tread which are adjacent to each other.
To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section comprising: a main frame; a plurality of steps each having a tread for carrying a passenger; a riser provided at a front or rear end of the tread; a driving roller shaft; and a driving roller rotatable about the driving roller shaft, the plurality of steps being coupled in an endless manner to be moved so as to circulate along a circulation path; a plurality of link mechanisms which couple the driving roller shafts of the steps adjacent to each other for changing an interval between the driving roller shafts by being transformed; a rotatable auxiliary roller provided to each of the link mechanisms; a driving rail provided to the main frame for guiding a movement of the driving roller; and an auxiliary rail provided to the main frame for guiding a movement of the auxiliary roller and transforms the link mechanisms, wherein a shape of the auxiliary rail is set in a section between a forward path side horizontal section and a forward path side constant inclined section of the circulation path such that, of the steps adjacent to each other, a moving track of a relative position of the step on a lower step side with respect to the step on an upper step side is the same as a surface shape of the riser of the step on the upper step side.